


Sinnamon Rolls

by Ragingstillness



Category: Noblesse
Genre: #FluffNotFear, F/M, Part sexy, What is this?, part actually serious, part crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-29 01:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6352573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ragingstillness/pseuds/Ragingstillness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Completely off the wall FrankensteinxLunark story I wrote. Gosh these two are perfect. Please R&R.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was Tao who first became aware of the situation, as was generally the case. His specialized security system had only been installed at the school for a few months but already it detected the enemy the minute they arrived and sent a beeping message to his phone, which was situated in his back pocket as he and Takeo patrolled the outside of the school. 

M-21 was on the inside and as his specialty was direct attacks of power that about matched those of Tao and Takeo together, the three had split up for this rotation. 

The classrooms inside had darkened quickly as the sun made its way to the spot of sky right above the school and the poor guards were sweltering in their black suits. All three of them wanted to suggest taking off the outer jackets but after considering Frankenstein’s wrath, they had all unknowingly decided to keep the wish to themselves. 

At least they weren’t as unlucky as Rael Kertia, who was guarding the roof in his full Lukedonia attire. Not only was it pitch black, but the outfit had multiple thick layers to prevent damage in battle. Tao personally was beginning to wonder if they should check on him to make sure he didn’t pass out. 

Tao was about to voice this half serious observation to his companion but the beeping of the phone distracted him. He quickly pulled the device out and glanced at the screen. His body immediately tensed and Takeo stopped walking next to him. The system was detecting a strong threat approaching from the East, with power nearing that of a clan leader.

Takeo tapped Tao on the shoulder and he looked up to see Rael standing on the edge of the roof, squinting in the same direction that the threat was coming from. Huh. Tao would never say it to the arrogant noble’s face but his observational skills were really quite amazing if he noticed the threat so soon, considering the system had a range of several miles. Maybe that training with Karias was paying off. 

Tao glanced back at the phone, which was beeping louder and louder as the target got closer to the school. If not for how conditioned he’d become to supernatural speed, the readings would have had him tapping the side of the phone to make sure they were real. Whoever was coming, they were coming very, very fast. 

Takeo seemed ready to jump into battle but Tao held him back. If the target got just a little closer he’d be able to pinpoint what kind of threat it was. 

A couple more seconds passed and the target didn’t slow down at all, in fact it seemed to get faster. It passed the inner ring and the reading came up on Tao’s sensors. Werewolf. And pure-blood too. 

When Tao had installed the system, he’d had to be careful with how much werewolf DNA he set the system to search for because if he wasn’t clear the alarm would react to M-21’s werewolf heart and then would be useless for detecting any real werewolves. 

The system dinged again and to Tao’s surprise he found that there was also a match in the database to a previous enemy. He frowned. What was the 5th elder doing here? She seemed to be alone too, which was really out of the ordinary as werewolves and union elders alike generally traveled in pairs. It was only the nobles who ever went solo, for reasons Tao couldn’t fathom. 

They would have to figure out something soon, she didn’t appear to be stopping. 

With a rush of displaced air Rael appeared next to Tao. In the past he would have charged in immediately but after the nightmare-inducing incident with the kitchen he’d gained a grudging respect for the young hacker. 

“Someone is coming, are we going to attack?” 

That was Rael, always right to the point. 

“I’m not sure. The system identifies her as the 5th elder.” 

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s attack now, before she makes it to the school.” 

Tao chanced to lay a conciliatory hand on Rael’s shaking shoulders. 

“I would, but she’s traveling alone. She doesn’t seem like the type of person to attack alone, she’s much too intelligent.” 

“Then what _are_ we doing? Just waiting?”

Takeo looked around quickly, making sure no one had noticed Rael’s raised voice. Tao put a finger to his lips then smiled at the blonde noble. 

“We’ll meet her outside the gate and find out what she wants. If she’s attacking, the three of us should be able to handle it and if not the boss is close by.” 

Rael didn’t look very pleased with the patient option but after glancing upwards at the window where the Noblesse usually sat he sighed and began trudging towards the gate. 

Once they all lined up it took the 5th elder about thirty seconds to arrive. She skidded to the front walkway, barely out of breath for having run what was at least six miles in the system radius alone. It was also remarkable to see that she was not wearing the white and gold robes of a union elder but instead a pair of dark navy jeans and a pleated parchment colored blouse. 

Tao stepped forward, smiling dangerously. 

“Is there anything we can do for you, Lady Werewolf?” 

She grimaced slightly at the nickname but chose to response civilly rather than with her teeth. 

“I have a message for Frankenstein from Dr. Crombel.” 

Tao chuckled. “Oh you do? Would it hurt so much to wait until school lets out and he can talk to you in a more…controlled setting.” 

The message was clear. You and your destructive transformation can take it to the smackdown space or leave it. But the 5th elder was not so easily deterred. 

“Believe me, I would love nothing more than to take Frankenstein on, but the message is urgent. Human lives will be lost if I don’t tell him soon.” 

Tao’s eyes darkened and Rael gritted his teeth audibly. There was a moment’s tense pause then Tao waved a hand towards the school. 

“We will escort you to his office. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what will happen if this is a trap.” 

The 5th elder nodded. Forming a triangle, the three walked quickly through the school, trying to get to Frankenstein’s office in an orderly fashion while avoiding as many students as possible. When they reached the large elm doors Tao knocked once and upon hearing Frankenstein’s quiet “come in,” he opened the door inward and allowed the lady werewolf to enter before closing the door and walking away. 

As he strode back down the hallway Rael called out to him in a whisper-yell. 

“Why are we leaving her with him? Shouldn’t someone be in there with them?” 

Tao laughed lightly. 

“The boss would be touched by your concern but I’m pretty sure he can take care of himself.” 

Rael scoffed and turned on his heel, muttering something about heading back up to the roof.

The 5th elder, meanwhile, walked straight up to the jet black desk and smirked at the lithe back of the man who sat behind it. 

“Miss me?” She breathed. 

The corner of his mouth twitched but he didn’t turn around. 

“With every knife so far, Fiery Woman.” 

She sighed and dared to flick the back of his head a little. 

“My name is Lunark, you may as well use it.” 

He actually turned around at this and she flinched a little at the proximity but it didn’t seem to bother him at all. 

“Lunark,” he began. She swore he purposely rolled the two syllables around to three on the tip of his tongue, just trying to get a rise out of her. “To what do I owe this unexpected and unappreciated visit?” 

“So rude. I ran all the way from headquarters to get here,” she complained. 

He stared right into her eyes, a deceivingly pleasant smile still painting his lips. 

“You still haven’t answered the question.” 

She snagged an armchair and lifted it with ease off the floor before placing it in front of the desk. Plopping down in it and crossing her arms, Lunark glared back at him. 

“I told your little guards I was here with a life-threatening message from Dr. Crombel.” 

A lesser woman wouldn’t have noticed it but Lunark instantly saw how Frankenstein’s finger curled tighter around his pencil and his back tensed as though he was preparing to run out of the office. Mentally she gave him a nod of approval. Outwardly she shook her head at him, playing the exasperated guest. 

“Calm down Franky, that’s not why I’m here.” 

She heard a slight choked sound and looked up. Frankenstein had sat back fully in his chair, his hand over his mouth, and his eyes wide. She leaned forward slightly and he leaned back, his hand covering his mouth even more, but she still noticed the childish blush painting the tips of his cheekbones. 

The air in the room suddenly seemed much too thin; with one word she had changed the game. She should honestly be making fun of him, a man of about 1000 years, embarrassed by a nickname, but it must have been contagious and she found herself floundering the conversation on. 

“W-What? Has no one ever given you a nickname before?” 

Great, now she was stammering. He leaned back into his desk, folding his hands in front of his lips but still couldn’t look at her. 

“No, of course not. But the nicknames I generally get are some variation of ‘you monster,’ ‘betrayer of humanity,’ and my personal favorite, ‘please don’t kill me.’” 

Lunark breathed again. The mysterious tension that had coated them had hopefully dissipated. 

“I only wish my own lived up to the masterful power conveyed by ‘please don’t kill me.’” 

On the word “masterful” a little bit of the tension came back. Calm Frankenstein was still somewhere back in time, blushing, but Sadist Frankenstein took the comment in stride. 

“Is Fiery Woman not strong enough? Lady Werewolf is also a personal favorite.” 

Lunark just smirked at him. The air was clear and the blue eyes of the man across from her were sparkling with the most devious of mischiefs. She could have rested in this silence forever. 

Unfortunately he chose to break it, waving his hand lazily across the space above his desk and moving the conversation on. 

“If you aren’t here with a message from Crombel, then why are you here?” 

Lunark had felt prepared to say what she wanted next but in the moment of confession she felt suddenly very awkward, as though the sleepless hours of figuring out what to do had all been for nothing. Frankenstein noticed that the fun had dropped out of her expression and furrowed his brows a little. 

“What’s wrong?” He even dared to ask. 

She looked back up at him, realizing exactly how little she really knew him. They’d met a couple times in battle but she really had no idea what his values were. Maybe it was a mistake to trust him so quickly. Then she flashed back to countless faceless union meetings, battles that were more just series of backstabbings, and the terror-filled screams she could sometimes hear at night, coming from the underground labs. She may not know Frankenstein or any of the nobles well, but they were the lesser of two evils. Taking a deep breath, she entrusted her fate to Frankenstein’s hands. 

“I need to talk to two people and only you can get me to them.” 

She saw suddenly, in the depths of his eyes, the scientist, the intellect that was still hundreds of years ahead of the union in genetic modification. His voice was breathlessly low when he responded. 

“And who would these two people be?” 

“The Noblesse and Lord Muzaka.” 

Frankenstein’s aura became very defensive. 

“And why would you want to speak with them?” 

Lunark stiffened her back. 

“I have been a part of the union for years, I am even one of their most high ranking members. Yet, recently I haven’t been able to help but notice that their morals do not coincide with mine. They support baseless conflict full of underhanded beatdowns where the strong take advantage of the weak. They keep life-threatening secrets from those who need them most. And they hurt people, so, so many people, humans, werewolves, nobles, I am beginning to think their only true goal is chaos.” 

She hadn’t even noticed it but she was shaking as she spoke, so overcome with hatred and confusion long suppressed by duty. Frankenstein stood from his desk and walked over to her, prompting her to stand and notice with mild annoyance that he had just an inch or two on her. He looked her right in the eyes, their profiles so close as to cause their shadows to cross. When he spoke next it was half a question and half a statement. 

“You want to defect.” 

She nodded. He kept up the uncomfortable closeness for a moment more then nodded to himself and began to pace around her in small circles, having become suddenly completely at ease with the situation. She was left to stare at him as he muttered his way around her. 

“We’ll have to introduce you to the kids somehow. We’ve used the transfer student line much too often already and, no offense, you don’t look like a teen.” 

She frowned despite herself. 

“Hmm.”  
Lunark felt a nagging sense of frustration growing with every circle of his dress shoes. He suddenly snapped his fingers and spun to face her. 

“How do you feel about joining the security team?” 

That was it. She took a single step forward and pulled him up by his white dress shirt, not wanting to ruin the intricacy of his tie. 

“I just told you I want to switch sides in a war and that’s all you can say? You trust me already? Are you insane?!” 

“Yes, no of course not, and absolutely. I’ve crossed blades with you and seen your spirit in battle. Oddly enough, that’s how I’ve gotten to know most people. So I trust your desire to defect even if I don’t trust you completely. Make no mistake, I am keeping a very close eye on you, I am just confident that wherever I place you, someone who can take you out will be close at hand.” 

He chuckled and set his hands on top of hers. 

“And as for the insanity, you’ve seen that for yourself.” 

He was about to gently uncurl her fingers from his shirt when the door to the office burst open and Shinwoo came stumbling in, yelling something about a future video game night. He stopped in the middle of his sentence and step when he saw them, causing Ik Han, Yuna, and Suyi to bump harshly into him. Shinwoo’s face quickly heated up and he sputtered out something as he tried his hardest to back out of the door. 

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, Director Lee, I didn’t know, I-I’ll just be going now.” 

Lunark stiffened when she realized how they looked. Frankenstein was half sitting on the edge of his desk and her fingers were wrapped around his shirt collar with his hands lightly on top of hers. It wasn’t giving quite the threatening impression the situation really deserved.

The minute the door shut she looked up at him and saw one of his signature psychotic smiles grinning back. Without hesitating she smacked him. He only laughed and she knew the mark would heal quickly with all of his physical modifications. He turned back to her, still smiling. 

“Who’s the flustered little schoolgirl now?” 

“Oh please, you shouldn’t be this immature for your age.” 

“Don’t think you can use ‘disappointed Mom’ on me.” 

Lunark gasped and rounded on him, furious. 

“Well if I’m your mother, I’m going to have to ground you for being a sarcastic bastard!” 

Frankenstein spread his hands wide. 

“I only go to school and home anyway. There’s not much grounding that can be done.” 

“You don’t even go out to secretly buy cinnamon rolls?” 

His mouth fell open. 

“You-who told you about that?” 

“Yuri said your bag was full of them when he and Dr. Arith took you. He was laughing because the top half of the bag was vegetables and the bottom half was cinnamon rolls of all different flavors.” 

“You have no right to insult my cinnamon roll intake.” 

“Oh don’t I? You call me Lady Werewolf like I’m the only female of my species.” 

“I was under the impression you preferred Fiery Woman.” 

From outside the door Shinwoo and the others glanced at each other in shock. There were terms in the conversation that didn’t make much sense but it was the novelty of the past three minutes that was really getting them. Director Lee, first seemingly making eyes at a mysterious woman _in his office_ now letting himself get worked up and arguing with her about cinnamon rolls and nicknames of all things! 

Shinwoo glanced over at Suyi and Yuna who looked slightly less shocked and had been snickering quietly in the corner for a while. 

“What are they doing?” 

Suyi looked up between tear filled eyes. 

“I believe they are having a sass-off.”

Shinwoo scoffed and turned back to the door, listening to the rhythmic notes of Director Lee and his mysterious lady’s voices as the most nonsensical argument he had ever heard continued comfortably on to the last bell of the day.

Author's note: I will go down with this ship. This was meant to be a one-shot but if someone requests it I might be able to continue it. I hope you enjoyed this story, please R&R. 


	2. Chapter Two

    Lunark only became aware of how late the hour was when the shadows creeping over the angular planes of Frankenstein’s face began to make her feel less secure in teasing the man. Frankenstein noticed it around the same time she did, resting his body on his arms against the desk and questioning her softly. 

    “Shouldn’t you be getting back to the union so as not to raise suspicions, Fiery Woman?” 

    She shook her head. He could obviously go on with this brand of banter for hours, but as the moon rose into the blackening sky she could feel the stress of sleepless nights overwhelming her. 

    “I am supposed to be on a mission that is expected to at least take a week or so. I’ve checked for tails and, finding none, I’m in the clear.” 

    The next question from him was rather unexpected. 

    “Do you have somewhere to stay?” 

    Lunark caught her breath. 

    “Y-yes, I mean, maybe. There is an almost infinite amount of union warehouses I could sleep in, but I still have to choose one and it gives them a chance to put a tail on me.” 

    Frankenstein smirked at her. 

    “And we wouldn’t want that would we?” 

    “Hmm, no.” 

    Frankenstein’s thin hands rose from the desk as he pushed off then steepled under his chin. 

    “Stay with us.” 

    Lunark’s eyebrows rose. 

    “With you? And the Noblesse? And all those other nobles? Are you crazy?” 

    “I thought I already answered that. Of course. There may be a tiny bit of opposition, but you’re a tough woman. And it’s my house, so my rules.” 

    His eyes flashed a little. Lunark gave him a genuine smile. 

    “That sounds wonderful.” 

    Frankenstein cleared his throat, turning away from her. He grabbed a small briefcase from the top of his desk, and led the way out the door, letting it swing back behind him so she had to grab it awkwardly and push it out for herself. She just sighed and heard his insane giggle coming from along the hall. 

    The route to the house was taken by the two of them alone, without any watchers.

    Frankenstein noticed her checking the rooftops. 

    “I generally go home with several of the occupants of my home, but they would react negatively to you and I’d hate to cause a scene in the street. I am the principal of a prestigious school after all.” 

    “And you avoided this scene how?” 

    Frankenstein surprised her by answering quickly despite how secret the information must be. 

    “A mental link exists between me and my master. I simply informed him of the situation and he took the kids home.” 

    “The kids?” 

    She teased. He gave her a half smile, hefting his briefcase over his shoulder like a delinquent student. 

    “That is the name I use for the occupants of my house generally. Despite their nobility, some of them are truly younger than me.” 

    Lunark nodded and the walk continued in relative silence. She glanced around and found several human women and men staring at them, both with steaming anger in their eyes. The men were staring at Frankenstein and the women were staring at her. For a moment she was confused. Did they recognize the power in their midst? Then her face heated up as she realized that what she had mistaken as anger was jealousy. 

    She had never thought about it much, but supernatural strength did come with supernatural good looks. It was only natural that the humans would stare. 

    Well, she glanced up at Frankenstein out of the corner of her eye, he was objectively good-looking, even though he was a human. Striking deep azure eyes, and long blond hair with the slightest wave. And he was built, slim, but built, probably from the ages of training he had went through to fight opponents on the level of nobles. 

    She huffed and looked away, realizing she had been staring, and he was surely only getting amusement from it. Maybe the bond with the Noblesse had given him a boost. That must be it. 

    And she, she supposed she was attractive. She had had several werewolf suitors in her lifetime, none who she consented to marry, but they had always expressed how much they valued her beauty. 

    Frankenstein caught her arm as they turned a corner, noticing how she’d spaced out. The looks from women across the street increased in intensity and the child inside her couldn’t help but smirk at them. 

    Surprisingly, the walk wasn’t very long at all and before she knew it they were standing in front of a two story white house with an orange roof. Frankenstein went to knock on the door, explaining that his endorsement would be crucial in getting the “kids” used to her presence. 

    The man who answered the door looked a bit like Frankenstein himself, with short blonde hair waving down one side of his face, but with the telltale red eyes of a noble. He gave Frankenstein a nod, then his eyes alighted on Lunark. Undoubtably he had already sensed she was a werewolf and concluded the worst. 

    Frankenstein set a hand on his shoulder and moved close to his ear in order to whisper some instructions that even Lunark’s ears couldn’t pick up. The man nodded once and relaxed the tension in his muscles then leaned back towards Frankenstein as he made to come in and relayed yet another message. 

    At this Frankenstein’s eyes widened and Lunark heard him groan slightly before walking back to her. 

    “We have to go in the back way and stay very quiet,” he whispered, hands already on her shoulders, turning her around. She leaned back against the pressure. 

    “Why?” 

    She hissed. 

    He suddenly stopped pushing, allowing the two of them to fall close naturally. 

    “The kids are here.” 

    “Yes, we talked about them didn’t we?” 

    Frankenstein huffed, his breath wafting over her cheeks.. 

    “No, not the nobles, the kids from school. We can’t have them seeing you as they are already at risk of getting further caught up in this war by being friends with Master.” 

    Lunark sighed and leaned off his hands, standing on her own. 

    “Fine.” 

    They walked around to the backside of the house yet when they arrived it seemed to lack something very important. A door. Lunark squinted at Frankenstein, but he just winked and raised a trapdoor from where it had been hidden under some plants. He gestured at it.

    Lunark backed off so he just shrugged and hopped in himself. He disappeared much too quickly so Lunark rushed over to look and found, instead of stairs, a slide, leading into darkness. 

    She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 

    “I’m going to regret this,” she murmured. 

    The ride down was surprisingly long and also very fast. As she neared the end it leveled out and she saw Frankenstein standing at the end, waiting for her. He reached out to catch her. 

    Lunark frowned, she wasn’t having any more of his so-called chivalry this day. 

    Chancing a little bit of power, she half-transformed to extend her nails, and scraped them along the walls until she ground to a halt, grooves dug deep into the sides of the slide. 

    Frankenstein looked horrified. He stared, speechless, from her to the tube, to the grooves, then back again. 

    Lunark shook the debris from her hair and blinked at him. 

    “Something wrong?” 

    His voice, when it came out, was as unsteady as the first time she gave him a nickname. 

    “Y-you destroyed my transportation system…” 

    “You mean the slide.” 

    “Yes I mean the slide! You cut up all the sides, how am I supposed to fix this!?” 

    Lunark set a finger against her lips. 

    “I don’t know,” was her final response. 

    With that the peppiness drained from Frankenstein’s posture, sinking into the ground. He waved a hand weakly at her. 

    “Come along. I’ll show you to a guest room while we wait for the students to leave.” 

    He set her up in a small bedroom, so neatly made up the fabric almost sparkled. There was just one bed, set next to a small dresser, a larger closet off to the side as well as a door to a bathroom she could see. 

    She sat down on the bed and Frankenstein stood at the foot of it, pacing as he gave her his instructions. 

    “You are not to leave this room until I tell you to. I will then arrange a meeting between you and Master, but you will not be able to speak with him alone. Be respectful, his approval will be instrumental in whether or not you get to change sides peacefully.” 

    “What’s the not-peaceful option?” 

    Frankenstein’s blue eyes drilled into her, with strength as well as a small bit of mischief poorly hidden in the back of his gaze. 

    “You become a prisoner of war.” 

    Lunark exhaled hard, half in fear, and half in resignation. That seemed to be the end of the conversation, and Frankenstein gave her one awkward nod before leaving the room and closing the door. 

    Lunark groaned once he left and dropped her head onto her hand. She had put a lot of thought into defecting, but the process was proving to be much weirder than she expected. The cautious civility she was treated with made her so suspicious she almost wished for the rush and sadism of battle she felt when she was going toe to toe with Frankenstein. At least then he was easy to understand. 

    She laid back on the bed, flopping her arms out and staring at the ceiling. She remained that way for a couple of minutes then the softness of the perfectly laundered sheets lulled her to sleep. 

    She woke an hour later, a short nap even by her standards. Nothing in the room had changed, she was still lying half on the bed, her legs hanging off the end and her back bent uncomfortably backwards. 

    She was contemplating getting up and walking around when the door handle jingled. It opened before she could get up, and to her surprise it was the Noblesse who walked in. 

    The door slipped from his fingers as his eyes landed on her, swinging half open. His eyes widened in the most emotion Lunark had ever seen him display. He opened his mouth to speak then seemed to think better of it and turned his head away, his long black hair shading his eyes. 

    Lunark frowned. 

    “Hello?” 

    The Noblesse took a moment to respond. 

    “I-” He swallowed and Lunark marveled at how awkward he looked. “-I was looking for Frankenstein.” 

    Lunark tilted her head away so she could only see a sliver of his face. 

    “Why would he be here?” 

    The Noblesse’s brow creased ever so slightly. He glanced around the room, looking hopelessly confused. Finally he answered, still with the expression of a kicked puppy. 

    “This _is_ his room.” 

    Lunark’s head spun towards him so fast she almost got whiplash. The poor Noblesse’s face was bright red. Lunark just smacked a hand against her forehead. 

    “That bastard."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: 
> 
> My friends, I am so sorry about how late this is. Like, months! Life happened and I couldn’t get around to it. I do intend to continue it though and thank you so much for requesting more, you have given me some of the nicest reviews ever. This chapter is rather short but I have a lot more planned. It just made more sense to end this one here than have a huge second chapter. Plus, it’s funnier. Please R&R.
> 
> P.S. Rajak is alive because I say so!


	3. Chapter Three

__Lunark had never thought she’d be here. A clink echoed through the room as the Noblesse set down his teacup in the saucer then set the ensemble down on the bed. Frankenstein’s bed. That she and the most powerful being in the universe were currently sitting on, enjoying tea and snacks that had been brought to them by the same tall man who had answered the door.

    She had at least thought they’d sit on the edge of the bed but somehow they had ended up cross-legged on it, as though they were having the world’s most formal sleepover. 

    The Noblesse was wearing his school uniform still, but he had taken off the white coat and set it over an armchair. He did it with such ease Lunark knew he must set the coat there often. A tiny flicker of warmth settled in Lunark’s chest at the beautiful friendship between the Noblesse and his bonded. 

    When the Noblesse first came in Lunark had wasted several minutes stammering and explaining that Frankenstein had obviously pranked the both of them until the Noblesse lifted his red cheeks and gave her a nod. They hadn’t spoke since then and had just crawled onto the bed, sitting and sipping tea. The silence didn’t seem to bother the Noblesse but Lunark had always been a woman of action. 

    “H-Has Frankenstein informed you as to why I’m here?” 

    The Noblesse shook his head. Lunark sighed. 

    “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking recently, about my place in the union. I may not have always been involved, but their actions still disgust me. I can’t bear supporting them anymore. I figured I’d speak to you first and then to Muzaka, to make sure I’m not switching sides to a greater evil.” 

    The Noblesse nodded and took another sip of tea. He glanced at her over the edge of his cup. She met his eyes steadily then gasped as the backs of his ruby eyes seemed to draw away from her, sinking into the depths of experience. He acted so much like a normal human sometimes Lunark had to remind herself that he was a being with at least a couple millenia under his belt. 

    The staring contest went on until whatever the Noblesse saw satisfied him and he dropped his eyes back to his cup. He took a sip and set it in its saucer again. 

    “We do not exist on the same plane as the union. They hurt for the purposes of chaos. We do not.” 

    Lunark nodded. A couple of her misgivings disappeared. The Noblesse didn’t speak much, so by extension all of his words carried an honest significance. Lunark felt bolstered enough to voice her deepest concern.

    “Can you defeat them?” 

    The redness of the Noblesse’s eyes sharpened. She laughed. 

    “That’s put the fight in your eyes. I didn’t think you had it in you.” 

    The Noblesse blinked and a sudden innocence crept into his still battle-burned eyes. 

    “I am a protector. The Union only hurts people. I refuse to stand by and let it happen.” 

    Lunark smiled. His values were still shocking to her, even after all the stories she heard from her father, who had been the werewolf ambassador to the nobles for centuries. When he got the information it was already secondhand, heard during strange tirades the Lord went on. The Noblesse sounded too pure-hearted to really exist. 

    Lunark had spent a fraction of a conversation with him, but already she could tell that he lived up to the rumors. He was a perfect moral compass. With a sigh Lunark pushed her teacup to the side and held out her hand. The Noblesse stared at it. She moved her hand a bit closer to him. 

    “I’ve made up my mind. If I can get a moment to talk to Lord Muzaka, I’ll be sure about telling you what I know. But for all intents and purposes, I’m on your side.” 

    The Noblesse was still looking at her outstretched hand so she grabbed his and shook it once. He drew back, eyes widening. 

    “Shaking hands seals an agreement.” She tilted her head at him and smiled. “It’s been a while since you walked the Earth.” 

    A smile crept its way up to the edges of his lips. Resting on the bed with his hands folded and the perfect pastels of his clothing, he looked like a baby-faced angel. 

    A knock sounded at the door and Lunark looked up to see Frankenstein leaning against the frame, smiling. “My Lord, the children are ready to leave. They’d like to say goodbye to you.” 

    The Noblesse nodded and got up from the bed. As he passed his bonded he took hold of Frankenstein’s hand and shook it once before leaving the room, a little flushed. Lunark laughed. 

    Frankenstein came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. 

    “What’s so funny?” 

    Lunark covered her smile. “I told him shaking hands seals an agreement. He must have felt the need to do it as a formal representation of your bond.” 

    She made the comment carelessly but was surprised to see a gentle smile fade out of the smirk on Frankenstein’s face. They really were some of the most tightly bonded blood pairs she’d ever met. 

    Frankenstein noticed her staring and cleared his throat, standing from the bed. 

    “What have you decided?” 

    Lunark took a breath. Saying it to the Noblesse instilled her with confidence, but this, admitting her allegiances to Frankenstein, felt like a final verdict. 

    “I’m going to defect and stand with you. I still would like to speak with Lord Muzaka if that’s possible but I’m definitely not part of the Union anymore.” 

    Frankenstein folded his arms and the tension drained from his posture. 

    “Then you may live here on a permanent basis. I’ll show you a real guest room, and, more importantly, you’ll have to learn the house rules.” 

     Lunark snorted. 

    “'More importantly.’” 

    Frankenstein glared. 

    “As a member of my household you will be expected to help out with the chores and be fair to the human friends of my master. When they’re over you may address him as Rai.” 

    “Rai?” 

    “It is a shortened version of his full name, Cadmis Etrama di Raizel, that was created by the kids.” 

    Lunark’s eyes widened. Frankenstein continued. 

    “You can’t fight with the nobles, and I’ll expect your help with training our…team.” 

    Lunark’s face softened. 

    “You were about to say ‘family’ weren’t you?” 

    Frankenstein coughed into a hand. 

    “No I wasn’t. Come downstairs, we’re going to eat dinner.” 

    He turned and left the room. Lunark followed, walking down several thin staircases to a large kitchen connected to a living room. All eyes were on her, and there were many of them. She barely had enough time to count the nobles in the room before many of them stood, tension clenching their muscles. Frankenstein raised his hands. 

    “Sit down.” The nobles flinched but didn’t move. “ You’re making the chandelier shake,” Frankenstein added.

    A rush of fear swept the assembled nobles and they all sat, backs straight. Lunark quirked an eyebrow. 

    “Miss Lunark is going to be staying with us from now on. She has chosen to defect from the Union and both Master and I vouch for her trustworthiness.” 

    Lunark gave a little wave. Some reciprocated, some didn’t. Silence fell until dinner was served and the large group began to eat. Frankenstein reiterated his statement from earlier then began introducing the members of the group. 

    The three men with black suit jackets resting on their chair backs were the school’s security force. The black haired one with the intelligent eyes was Tao, the quiet long-haired on was Takeo, and the werewolf hybrid Lunark had yet to figure out was called M-21. Lunark winced, recognizing an experiment number when she heard one. 

    The three younger nobles were Seira, white haired and civilized; Regis, as short tempered as he was short; and Rael, one of the few nobles who stared at her with undisguised hatred. She decided she liked him. He was brutally honest. 

    The man at the door had been Rajak, Rael’s older brother and leader of the Kertia clan. Aside from Seira, she was the only woman in the house. 

    Lunark didn’t speak much during the meal but it took little for the three modified humans to jump into a spirited discussion. Lunark found herself surprised by a few of their stories. Human children did the craziest things. 

    When the meal ended M-21 and Takeo moved to take the dishes but Frankenstein waved them away. 

    “Go on to bed, I have to speak to Lunark about her change of allegiances.” 

    They rushed from the room, Tao chattering about some computer program he was going to show them. Lunark found herself standing beside Frankenstein at the sink, clad in a bright pink apron and rubber gloves that reached her elbows. She frowned at them. 

    “Why pink?” 

    Frankenstein shrugged. 

    “I found a whole set of clothing for domestic wear at the store. The color doesn’t matter, even the house slippers are pink.” 

    Lunark blew some hair out of her face. 

    “And here I was hoping for some amazing story of how you threw every piece of white clothing in the house in with a red shirt or something.” 

    Frankenstein laughed. 

    “No such story exists I’m afraid.” He side-eyed her. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.” 

    Lunark snorted. “Yeah, do you have any idea how hard it is to get red dye out of white union uniforms?” 

    He smirked and she flicked water at him. 

    “Of course not. It’s a literary trope.” 

    Frankenstein raised an eyebrow. 

    “Hey I read!” 

    He just shook his head and went back to the dish he was washing. 

    “So you refuse to give your information until you speak to Muzaka?” 

    Lunark stiffened a bit at his disrespectful way of addressing the former werewolf lord. 

    “That’s right. I can’t be sure of my actions until I’ve given him the information I believe he deserves.” 

    Frankenstein shrugged. 

    “Ok.” 

    Lunark reached across him to set a bowl in the dish drain.

    “That’s it? Ok?” 

    “As I mentioned before we can take you out whenever we want and if you haven’t already noticed, I’ve shown you nothing that would be useful to the Union.” 

    The hair on the back of Lunark’s neck rose. He was right. The slide she came down on was easily fortified, and other than that she’d been in the most secure room in the house as well as one hallway. Frankenstein had also kept her away from the humans. And she hadn’t noticed. Maybe the gravity of her decision was loosening her instincts. 

    The dishes were done and they went down a different hallway from the one they’d came, reaching a different empty room that was less furnished than Frankenstein’s but nonetheless homey. Lunark was just settling down on the bed when Frankenstein spun from the door to face her.

    “We can get you a meeting with Muzaka tomorrow night.” 

    Lunark raised an eyebrow. She had thought it’d be harder to get ahold of the neutral werewolf lord. Then Frankenstein nodded and left the room. 

    The door swung shut and the seriousness of her situation hit. Lunark wasn’t quite as old as some of the nobles but she had a couple centuries under her belt and for the most part those had been spent in the werewolf homeland, growing up, training, then working for the royal family until a hundred or so years ago when the Union had approached the werewolves and she had been appointed as an elder. Her family lived still there, her friends, apart from Kentas, and the people she had thought she was loyal to. 

    She shook the nostalgia away. Her home had changed to a point where she couldn’t call it that anymore; not after what her clan-mates and the Union had been doing. 

    The screams from days she slept over at labs were easy to ignore for a time, while she had thought they were just those of humans. It may not have made her the best person but she had justified it because the idea of humans hurting their own kind felt like a foregone conclusion, a natural process she didn’t want to interfere with. She hadn’t been raised to see the species as particularly intelligent. 

    She had been down in one of the labs, talking to one of the scientists on the lord’s orders when she heard another scream, but this one sounded all too familiar. She broke away from the conversation and rushed down a hallway to throw open double doors into a darkened lab. 

    Tubes filled with turquoise liquid cast a navy light across the floor, shadows of the tortured patients within twisting against the light. The worst feeling was not the shuddering corpses she regarded, but her recognition of some of them. And then the scientist had come into the room behind her, giving a commentary worthy of a tour. Congenial tone and all. Only her toughest training allowed her to keep from throwing up at that. 

    It was after that Lunark found out about the corruption, the warriors who were turning away from their spirits to let technology give them strength. Kentas had demonstrated similar disgust but he had been sent on another mission when she left. She had told him only pieces of her plan so that if he was tortured the Union wouldn’t find her or hurt him. 

    There was a heady sense of victory rising in her spirit, a disbelief that she had got away with what she had. She clamped down on it, whipping it with the reality of war and what the Union would do to her if they caught her. She got her hope under control with those visions, but they didn’t lend to very peaceful dreams that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we will meet Muzaka and I get to fumble my way through characterizing a character I don't know very well. Awesome. Thank you all so much for enjoying this story. Please leave a comment with your opinion or just a kudo if you like the story, thank you.
> 
> Love,
> 
> Ragingstillness
> 
> P.S. If you want to talk to me about...really anything...hit me up on tumblr @ragingstillness


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